Legacy of District Four
by EveryNewDay
Summary: Everyone knows the story of Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, and the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games. As always, there is more to the Games than District Twelve's star-crossed lovers. A girl from District Four, with no Hunger Games training at all, must rely on her sharp wit and beauty to survive. She might not win, but this her journey and story. This is the tale of Lena Martindale.
1. The Reaping

**This is my first **_**Hunger Games **_**fanfiction so I hope everyone enjoys it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Hunger Games**_**, Suzanne Collins does.**

"Lena Martindale!" My name echoed through the square, bouncing off the buildings and people, coming straight into my ear. I could feel my feet moving through my mind's shock, everyone moving so I had a clear path to the stage, no one volunteering to take my place. District Four's escort, a woman named Trylla, beamed at me as I walked up the small steps to her. She was a ghastly looking woman with tall, bright yellow hair, and a disfigured blue skirt and shirt that looked wrinkled and had too much shape. As I got closer I could see her eyelashes were green and long just like Finnick Odair had told me after he won the Hunger Games.

"You wouldn't by any chance be the dear sister of Darena Martindale, would you?" Trylla asks gently. I glance at the screen where my district's reaping is being broadcasted. My face is emotionless, my jet black hair in a braid, my bright green eyes showing no hint of the panic and shock I was feeling.

"Yes." I say softly into the microphone. Trylla pats my shoulder sympathetically and moves onto the boys to pick a name. The boy, my neighbor Farel, comes to the stage, not even bothering to hide the terror on his face. We are then ushered into the courthouse. I was led away from Farel to wait in a room for my family. I kept pacing the length of the room, not bothering to notice the décor of the room. All I knew it was plush and well furnished. Suddenly, the door to the room flew open.

"You have five minutes." a voice said as my family all rushed at me. My mother was sobbing and in hysterics, my father trying to reassure me, and my older brother Marco trying to calm Mother down.

"You'll win, Lena, bring pride to District Four." my dad says as he hugs me.

"I'll try." I whisper. We all stood there, hugging each other, not wanting to let go until the Peacekeeper comes for my family. Before they leave my mother says, "I can't lose you Lena, not like Darena. You must win." That was the last I saw of my family before the Games and soon Trylla got us onto the train that would take us to the Capitol, where death or victory lay before Farel and I.

**If you're confused on how to say some names they are pronounced:**

**Lena: LAY-nuh**

**Farel: Fair-l (make "l" sound)**

**Trylla: TRiLL-uh**

**Please read and review!:)**


	2. The Train and a Clip

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed or viewed this story. I really do appreciate it.**

**Disclaimer: **_**The Hunger Games**_** is owned by Suzanne Collins.**

As soon as we got on the train to go to the Capitol, I was awe-struck.

"Wow." Farel said. All I could do was nod in agreement. Our district was not poor like some of the other districts but not everyone lived the life of luxury. The train might have been the only nice place I had been in besides the courthouse back home. It was decorated in rich blues, browns, and greens, colors that were common in our district. The furniture was made of a dark wood and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. On the wooden table lay all kinds of food from the Capitol and from District Four. I could see the bread that my sister used to make all the time for breakfast on the table.

"Isn't this lovely?" Trylla says cheerfully. Farel and I just nod. She showed us to our rooms on the train and left us to ourselves, saying dinner would be ready around eight or so. I slowly turned the knob on the wooden door of where I would stay for the duration of the train ride to the Capitol. The room looked nothing like my room back home, giving me a slight pang of homesickness that I quickly pushed down. I wouldn't, no I couldn't, think of home and my family. The room was nice just like the rest of the train with a wood floor, turquoise walls, and a white dresser. I immediatly went to the dresser, grabbing a green shirt, some pants, and a jacket, wanting to get out of my stifiling dress that Mother forced me to wear to the reaping just like every other year saying, "You'll catch the eyes of all the boys in District Four."

I went into the bathroom, seeing the stainless steel faucet and showerhead and all of the nice marble that decorated the tub and sink.

"This must've cost a fortune." I mutter. I take off my dress and undergarments, slipping into the shower. I play with the different settings, enjoying myself and wondering if Darena had done the same thing and used the same room as I did. I then got dressed and as I pulled on my pants I heard a _clank_! I looked down at the floor of the bathroom and saw a very pretty clip. It was long and looked like it would be used to pull your hair into a bun. The long metal teeth suggested it was made to hold thick hair like mine. It was silver with sea-green and emerald green jewels that seemed hammered into the metal and unbreakable, like not even time would be able to destroy its beauty. I think it was supposed to form the design of a flower with long petals, like a lily. I picked it up gently, gazing at it in wonder. As I gazed at it, I set it down on the counter with a start. It was my sister's hair clip, the same one she wore for her interview, her token from Mother. I picked it up again, slipping it into my pocket. Why would her clip be here, I wondered. I slipped out of the bathroom, checking the time. I had enough time for a nap and to wonder about the reapparence of my sister's clip.

I set Darena's clip on the end table by the big, queen-sized bed, got under the covers, and closed my eyes. All I could see behind my closed eyelids was my sister, her blue eyes like my father's shining with curiosity, her golden hair so like my mother's, and the Sixty-Fifth Hunger Games that she was killed in.

**Sorry, I forgot to add one more pronunciation in the last chapter:**

**Darena: DUHraynUH**


	3. Special Skills

**I hope this chapter is longer and I'm glad everyone still likes the story so far.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Hunger Games**_**, Suzanne Collins does.**

I woke up to a loud pounding on the door.

"Lena! Dinner is ready!" I snuggled deeper into the covers. Then everything that had happened so far came rushing back to me like a tidal wave comes rushing back to the sand in District Four. I woke up instantly, jumping out of the bed, pulling my hair back, and putting Darena's clip into my pocket. I opened the door to see Trylla had already left after waking me up. I sprinted down the hallway, knowing I was probably late. I burst into the dining cart, panting and winded, to see everyone staring at me.

Everyone was at the table, even our mentors. I saw Finnick Odair in all his handsome glory, bronze hair, strong face, and pale green eyes. Then there was Annie Cresta who I was surprised to see. It was normally Mags who was District Four's mentor because Annie was usually very unstable. She was a pretty girl with her long, dark hair, and green eyes. Farel was there as well as Trylla.

"That was fast." Farel remarked as I sat down to eat. I didn't respond I just started eating. I felt as though I was being scrutinized the whole time I ate by Finnick and Annie. I could feel my skin crawl from their stares, them trying to figure out this small, skinny girl. Finally, I could eat no more and so I sat back in my seat like everyone else.

"How do you two want to be trained?" Finnick asked us. I glanced at Farel, not sure how I should respond. Farel had a determined look on his face, his grey eyes pale and emotionless.

"I think it would be best if we were trained separately." he says. I raise an eyebrow but say nothing. Maybe it was for the best, so we could do better and give our district a fighting chance in the Games. Finnick nods thoughtfully.

"If that's how you want to play it." He turns to Annie and they seem to almost have a silent conversation. I knew from Marco that since he won the Games, Finnick has had his eye on Annie for a long time. I could almost see the love between the two and how shy they seemed about it.

"Since you two want to be trained separately, I will train Lena. Annie and Mags will train Farel." Finnick says. I raise my eyebrow again.

"Mags already ate a while ago." Finnick says in response to my expression. I nod. Farel and Annie leave the table and Trylla leaves shortly after saying she has to get ready for tomorrow. All that's left in the room is Finnick and I. I shift uncomfortably as he gazes at me. He didn't look at me like he looked at Annie. He looked at me like everyone else in District Four looked at me, with sad eyes and pity.

"Are we going to talk strategy, training methods, or interview angles? I don't think staring at each other is going to help me win the Hunger Games." I say into the growing silence. Finnick grins at me.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a sharp wit?" He sounds like my mother saying that. Mother always said I was intelligent and witty. She also told me that I had a sharp tongue which I guess I did. I didn't reply, thinking of my family. What would they be doing right now back home? Would Marco be coming home from working on the ships with Father? Is Mother making dinner right now?

"Are you okay?" Finnick asks me gently. I notice now that small tears have escaped my eyes, spilling onto my cheeks. I wipe them away quickly. I can't show any weakness here.

"Fine." I reply.

"Look, I know this isn't what you wanted. Your sister was scared too but this is the time to prove yourself and do what she couldn't." Finnick says. I had been staring at my hands then and I looked up to meet Finnick's gaze, meet green eyes that were and yet were not like my own.

"Which is what?" I ask, knowing what he would say next but wanting to hear it out loud.

"Win the Games." It was those three simple words that gave me more closure than I had since I was reaped. I could win the Games for Darena. I could do what she wasn't able to do, to give something to her memory and to show the Gamemakers that even though Darena Martindale died, her sister didn't and she was prepared and ready to take on the Hunger Games. I could, no I will, win, no matter what. Finnick seemed to see the new fire of determination in me because his next words would help me more than anything to win this game of death and entertainment.

"What are your strengths?"

"I can swim and I'm good with knots." I say.

"Anyone in the district can do that. What makes you different Lena? What sets you apart from the other tributes?" I thought for a moment. There was nothing I had to offer, no weapon skills, nothing. Despite that, I did have an advantage, no matter how slight it was.

"My sister." I say simply. Finnick nods thoughtfully.

"That should help you get sponsors and we can work that into your interview. What other skills do you have that make you different?" Finnick asks me.

"None." I reply.

"Then in the training room don't ignore the survival skills but practice with some of the weapons they'll have." Finnick tells me.

"What about the Careers?" The Careers were tributes who were trained their whole lives to win the Games and they usually came from District One and Two. District Four tributes sometimes were called Careers because our tributes were normally strong and win more often than the other districts.

"Size them up and see their strengths and weaknesses but don't try to get into an alliance with them." Finnick says. I nod thoughtfully. Then I remember the clip that I found in my room. Would Finnick know how it got there? I reached into my pocket, placing the clip on the table in between us. The jewels glittered from the chandelier's light. Finnick seemed unsurprised that I found it.

"I remember when Darena wore that to her interview." he said. I did too. She had looked so pretty, her long blonde hair pulled back, her blue eyes were complimented by the dress she wore.

"I found it." I say as some sort of explanation for why I would have it.

"Keep it. It can be your token." Finnick then leaves the dining cart, saying something about how he was tired and we could talk more tomorrow. I didn't move to go to my room. I stared at the clip, wondering why it had been in my room. I wondered if Darena somehow knew I would be a tribute and she left it for me. I would never know but I knew that it would be my token, like Finnick said. I slipped the clip back into my pocket, quietly walking back to my room. I fell into a peaceful sleep and I knew I would soon be ready to win the Hunger Games.


	4. A Boy and the Tribute Parade

**Thanks for all the great reviews so far! Also if you're viewing this story, please review if you get a minute.**

**Disclaimer: **_**The Hunger Games **_**is owned by Suzanne Collins**

The last day or so on the train went by quickly as Finnick and I discussed strategy for the arena.

"Make sure you find water as quickly as possible. If you can without getting killed, get to the Cornucopia for supplies." Finnick had told me. I was skeptical about his advice on the Cornucopia. Everyone knew that was a blood bath and most tributes' deaths were met at the Cornucopia. I felt he knew best so I just nodded in affirmation. Soon I was being ushered to the Capitol to get ready for the Tribute Parade once our train arrived at the Capitol. I was poked, prodded, waxed, and plucked by my prep team. I could only imagine how Darena felt when she did this. Darena had always hated being pretty, wanting to remain as inconspicuous as possible. My prep team chattered about the Games and how I was so lucky to be there.

"You are very fortunate. Most families don't even get a second chance at the Games." Tarena, a woman with blue eyes and long, pink fingernails, had twittered.

"We will make sure you look the best out of all the tributes!" Victor, a man with ruby red hair and eyes, added. I said nothing, suffering through the pain and prepping knowing that how I look tonight could determine what sponsors I get. Finally, they sent me into a room and told me to wait for my designer. I looked at myself in the mirror. They had layered my dark, black hair so it would accentuate my cheekbones and show off my emerald green eyes. At least, that's what my prep team told me when I heard the _snip, snip_ of the scissors. I could hear a door open and close. A woman walked into the room. She didn't look as ghastly and made up as some of the other people that live in the Capitol. She had dark blonde hair, a pretty gold color. Her eyes were a warm honey yellow-brown and she wore green clothing and makeup.

"I remember designing for your sister." the woman says. I merely nod, pulling a robe on and sitting down on the plush, red chair nearby. The woman sits across from me, shaking her head.

"She talked about you a lot. Never did I think I would design again for another Martindale." the woman says.

"What's done is done. No one can change it or what happened to her. I just have to win." I say. The woman smiles.

"I like a strong girl who speaks her mind. I'm Lativa." the woman, Lativa, says. I smile back.

"I think you know who I am if you knew Darena." The woman nods sadly.

"Yes, you are the other lovely Martindale, Lena. Enough of the past, let's see how the prep team did." I shrugged off the robe I was wearing and Lativa inspected me. She nodded her head several times and played with my hair. Then she smiled and asked me to put the robe back on.

"I know what to do. This year you and your district partner won't look like fish. You will look like the ocean itself." I was sent back to my prep team and watched as they pulled my hair into a fish tail braid, something Darena used to do all the time when I was little.

"Close your eyes, darling. We want your makeup to be a surprise." Tarena orders. I do as I'm told, closing my eyes. I could feel them apply the eye shadow, lipstick, and blush. My eyelashes were so dark they didn't need to put any mascara on me, or so they told me when I asked. I'm led over to another room to get my outfit on. It was made of a shimmery material with deep hues of green, blue, and pink. Mona, a woman with neon pink hair and skin, helps me dress. Finally I'm ready.

"Look in the mirror, Lena." Lativa says as she enters the room. When I do so, my eyes widen. I don't even recognize myself. I looked beautiful, my emerald eyes surrounded by sea green eye shadow. Glittery powder covers my cheeks in a light dust. The most amazing part of it all was the outfit. I was dressed in silver sandals that had shiny beads on them. My skirt was long and made of a wavy light pink material that shimmered as I walked. The top was strapless, the bodice decorated with sequins and baby blue jewels. If the light hit the sequins just right they looked like a light green. The shirt was sea foam green and it was form fitting with some ocean blue flashes in the material. The last part was the shells and shiny scales that decorated my hair.

"Thank you." I whisper.

"Don't thank us. Wear this with pride and show everyone the best of District Four." Lativa says proudly. Lativa leads me to the chariots and I could see Farel was dressed similarly to me with the same color scheme. Finnick was there too along with Mags and Annie. He grins broadly as we come to the chariot.

"You look amazing!" he exclaims. In a whisper meant for my ears only he adds, "None of the girls from the other districts look as pretty as you." I give a small smile of gratitude. Surely there are other girls who look as pretty as I do? I don't have much time to look around or think about it because soon we are put onto the chariot being pulled by white horses. I watch as the chariots ahead of us go out into the crowd and as it nears our turn I start to get nervous and my mind goes numb from the panic I was feeling.

"You'll be fine." Farel whispers to me. I could feel his hand gently grab mine. I don't pull mine away, needing something to keep me anchored and strong. I remember Darena's tribute parade. I remember how she and Finnick had shown how they were proud to come from District Four. I was determined to do the same.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the tributes from District Four!" I felt the chariot move and soon we were moving forward. It took everything I had not to fall. I gripped Farel's hand tighter. I could see my face on the screen. I looked strong, powerful even and nothing like Darena who had looked innocent and sweet. I looked like someone who was not to be underestimated in the arena and was proud to be from the fishing district. As the parade was drawing to a close I looked up at the screen one more time and what I saw was amazing. I saw the tributes of District Twelve bathed in fire. They looked great but I knew Lativa and Farel's designer did well too. The parade was soon done and we entered the Training Room. It was then that I realized that I had been holding Farel's hand the whole time.

"Thanks." I say as I get off the chariot. He gives me a half smile.

"No problem." His gaze seems to darken a little as he looks behind me. I turn around, wondering what was happening. That's when I saw him, the boy from District One. He appeared to be strong and muscular, with brown-blonde hair and hazel eyes. He was dressed in fuchsia and in the luxury items of his district. His hazel eyes had been flitting between the two gaudy stylists and the girl I assumed to be his district partner but then his eyes landed on me. The boy flashed me a flirty, cocky grin and I quickly looked away, my cheeks burning. The stylists and prep teams were all gushing praise about our performance. Farel still had a dark look on his face. Only Finnick seems to notice my red face.  
"What happened?" he asks me in an undertone.

"Nothing." I reply. Finnick raises an eyebrow but says nothing more. As we went to our room in the Training Center I wasn't thinking about my family or Darena. I was thinking only about the boy from District One.

**Some more pronunciations:**

**Tarena: TUHrayNuh**

**Lativa: LAHteaVaH**


	5. The Training Room

**Thank you to raisa864 for all your reviews! They mean a lot. If you are reading this story please review if you get the chance.**

**Disclaimer: Suzanne Collins owns The Hunger Games.**

I slept fitfully that night, still thinking about the boy from District One.

"He couldn't keep his eyes off you." Farel told me as we went to our rooms, which were across from each other, in our level of the Training Center.

"Who?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion. Farel sighs in a way that makes me feel like I'm missing a piece to a big puzzle.

"The boy from One. Even when you looked away his eyes were always on you. Be careful." Farel then goes into his room, shutting the door. I look at the closed door in confusion. He wanted to train separately from me, why would he care? I don't understand boys.

District Four's level in the Training Center was posh and sleek. It was mostly silver and dark blue with comfy couches surrounding a television set and a long, wooden table with chairs for meals. When Farel closed his door I went into my room with confused thoughts swirling in my head like the wind swirls the tide and creates waves in the ocean. The next day we got into the standard attire for training: black pants, shoes, and a shirt with our district number on it. Farel and I went down to the training room, not saying a word. When we arrived all the tributes were gathered around a tall woman with her brown hair pinned back into a tight bun. She was athletic looking and introduced herself as Atala. The training room was large, all silver, with weapons everywhere. I could see metal bars for climbing and a climbing rope along with targets set up for practicing.

"Everyone listen up. There will be no maiming or trying to injure one another. There are experts in each skill at each station. Take advantage of the time you have here." she says in a very straight-forward manner. When she was done speaking everyone wandered off to the different stations. I decided to start at the one that taught you how to make a fire. I wanted to go to as many survival skills stations as I could. They would help me more in the arena than weapons would.

I watched the Career tributes as I worked on starting a fire. I was surprised to get it on my first try. The Careers were all lethal in some way and dangerous, very dangerous. The little dark haired girl from District Two, Clove, who looked to be about fourteen, two years younger than me, was good with knives. She hit the target with her knife each time. The blonde boy from District Two, Cato, looked to be seventeen or eighteen, very coy and intelligent; he was good with a sword. There was the pretty blonde girl from District One whose name I think is Glimmer. She didn't appear particularly lethal but that could all change in the Games. Then there was the boy from District One, the boy who looked about sixteen like me, and he was good with a spear. I heard Glimmer call him Marvel.

Besides the Careers, the two other tributes I was worried about were the two from District Twelve. They weren't practicing with the weapons or anything, sticking to the survival skills stations for now like me, but they made a big entrance in the tribute parade. Who knew what else they had to win these Games. I found I was good with the knots to set snares, I could build a fire, and I was okay at identifying herbs and plants that were edible. The girl from Twelve, Katniss was much better at it than I was. I finally made my way to the climbing bars. I looked up and I now realized how high they were. When it was my turn I hesitated. I never had a fear of heights but this intimidated me slightly.

"Are you going to go or are you going to let someone who's not scared and tougher do it?" an arrogant voice says behind me. I turn to see it was Marvel and he had a smirk on his face. I faced the bars again with renewed determination and stepped up to the ladder. I didn't think I just let instinct take over. I flipped through the bars, climbing on top of them, pretending I was flitting through the trees with flips and turns. When I jumped back down to the floor and I saw the surprised look mirrored on everyone's face, I looked right at Marvel with a sugary sweet smile and said, "Guess who's not scared now Tough Boy?" I walked away to the camouflage station where Farel was, feeling eyes on my back.

"That was impressive." Farel says I walk over. I just nod in response, still on adrenaline from the climbing bars. We work together in silence.

"I wouldn't trust the guy from One." Farel says after a while. I raise an eyebrow.

"What makes you think I was planning on it?" I ask. Farel shrugs.

"I'm just warning you." I put down my brush, fed up with why he cares.

"What are you playing at? Why do you care?" I ask. Farel glances up at me, his sandy hair partially covering his cloud grey eyes.  
"Marco told me to do everything I could to protect you if you were ever reaped for the Games. I promised him and I'm making sure that you make the right choices. If I can't win, I want to make sure you do." Farel tells me, his eyes dead serious. I blink in surprise. I never knew and I was thinking that maybe he liked me. From the way he was talking to me and the seriousness in his voice he wasn't joking.

"How does he look at me then?" I ask. Farel smiles slightly, but only slightly.

"Like he wants to kiss you." he tells me. My cheeks flare up, turning bright red. Farel grins at me.

"If Marco were here he would be telling you to quit thinking about him and that he isn't the boy for you." Farel jokes. I roll my eyes.

"He would punch him first and ask questions later." I say. We laugh at the thought of Marco trying to punch Marvel. It would be quite a sight. Soon I wander over to the weapons area as Farel goes over by the climbing station. I see a row of star shaped weapons, all the same, all deadly and sharp. I look at the man by the weapons.

"What are these?" I ask.

"I don't know their proper name but I call them star knives or stars for short." The man showed me how to use them. You pick one up and there is a hole in the middle for your thumb and your fingers surround the hole, grasping the knife lightly with your fingers, relying on your palm and fingers to throw the knife. You fling your wrist like you were throwing a knife. As soon as my fingers wrapped around the star, it felt like I had used it all my life, like I knew every portion of the knife, every crevice, and every sharp point that surrounded each portion of the triangle that made up the star. I flicked my wrist and the knife went flying, almost hitting the bull's eye. I practiced for the rest of the training session until I realized I was the only one left. Even the trainers had left and I hear someone say I had one more hour for training. Sweat dripped down my face and I was instantly grateful I chose to pull my hair back. When I flicked my wrist, my last star hit the bull's eye.

"Yes!" I cried in triumph. I could hear clapping and I turned to see Marvel standing nearby, a wide smirk on his face. Not the cocky, arrogant smirk he had on before. This one just looked normal, one you would use with friends.

"That was nice Four." he says as he walks up to me. I feel dwarfed as he comes closer.

"Lena." I say. He raises an eyebrow.

"What?"

"My name is Lena. If you end up being the person who kills me in the arena, I'd appreciate it if you would have the decency to know my name, not my district number." I say. I narrow my eyes slightly to emphasize my point. He grins at me.

"Alright _Lena,_ that was a good shot." he says. I soften my gaze a little.

"Thanks." He strolls over to the stars and picks one up. Marvel throws it at the target, hitting the bull's eye.

"Where did you learn to climb? I didn't think there were trees in Four." he says, still throwing the knives. I fold my arms across my chest and watch him for a moment.

"I didn't. It was all instinct. You being arrogant and cocky helped too." I reply after a moment, adding the last sentence as an afterthought. He grins at me, all the stars on the bull's eye or on the floor.

"I helped you, huh?" I say nothing; just stand there with my arms crossed.

"I could help you more in the arena." he says as he steps closer to me. The smirk is gone, replaced with a straight face. "Clove, Cato, Glimmer, and I are all going to be in an alliance. You could be in it, hang out with the Careers." Warning bells ring in my head, Finnick's warning about not joining an alliance with the Careers flickers through my mind.

"Strong girls don't need strong boys to survive, they take care of themselves." I say softly, remembering something my dad would always say to my sister and me when Darena started to become interested in boys. I left the training room to go to my level, not sure if I made the right choice or not.


	6. The Prettiest Girl

**This chapter will be a little different from the other chapters. This will be written in a different point of view and after that it will be back to Lena's point of view. See if you can guess who's point of view this is written in.:)**

**Disclaimer: Suzanne Collins owns _The Hunger Games._**

She was beautiful, more beautiful than any of the other girls here for the Hunger Games. She was even prettier than Glimmer. I had never felt this way about any girl before. I wanted to protect her. In the training room she was smart and spunky, not letting me or anyone else take her down. She would be hard to beat in the arena.

"You keep looking at the girl from Four." Cato, the Career from District Two, says as we throw spears at the dummies set up for practice. I thrust my spear forward, hitting it right in the heart.

"I don't look at her." I reply almost indignantly. Cato lets out a snort of laughter.

"She looks at you too if that helps. You're falling for her." I throw another spear at the dummy, piercing its head. I whirl around to face Cato with bitter fury.

"I'm not falling for the girl from District Four! Even if I was, and I'm not, it would be pointless. She'll just die anyway." I spit out angrily. I knew I was lying to him and he knew it. I had only seen the girl once and I was already attracted to her. She was tough and strong, not like the girls back home in District One.

I went through all the weapons stations, not really bothering with the survival skills stations. I would get to the Cornucopia and get supplies there in the arena. I kept glancing at the girl from Four. Her district partner kept glaring at me whenever I would look at her, almost as if he were her older brother and he didn't want her messing with the wrong boy.

Finally, we were the only two left in the training room. I offered her protection and help in the arena. She could join the Careers, even though Cato would kill me for it.

"Strong girls don't need strong boys to survive, they take care of themselves." she says in a soft voice. She walks away and I stare at her retreating back. I wish she was from my district and not here, fighting for her life. Then she could be someone I could go back home to if I win the Games, someone to love from District One. Lena was the girl from District Four, the girl I had fallen in love with.


	7. Love and Training Scores

**Thank you raisa864 for the review! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Hunger Games, **_**it's owned by Suzanne Collins**

I felt the elevator go up as I rose to the fourth level of the Training Center. I was proud of myself; I had refused an alliance with the Careers. I had done exactly what Finnick had told me to do. Then why was I feeling indecisive as to whether or not I made the right choice? _Because of Marvel. _The thought slithered through my mind, unwanted and unbidden. I shook it away and out of my head. I had no feelings for Marvel, I barely knew him. I heard the _ding _of the bell as I reached my floor. The elevator slid open to reveal Farel, Finnick, Mags, and Annie all at the dinner table, eating. I could feel my stomach rumble and I realized I was starving.

"What took you so long?" Finnick asks me as I take a seat. I load my plate with food before answering.

"Training. I found a new weapon and I wanted to make sure I knew how to use it." I answer. Farel smiles grimly at me.

"Are you sure it wasn't something else?" His tone was teasing but there was an underlying message in his words. He was warning me again to stay away from Marvel, to not get attached or involved in anything. Finnick raises an eyebrow at Farel and glances at me. Mags and Annie look interested in our exchange, setting down their eating utensils.

"You've found a boy, haven't you Lena?" Annie asks me softly. I could feel my cheeks burn in indignation.

"No! Of course I haven't!" I exclaim. Annie says nothing to my response but her green eyes hover on me. She suspects that I have fallen in love with one of the tributes. I haven't, though. I will eventually have to kill them; love would only make things worse. The rest of dinner carries on in silence. I finally finish as Annie and Mags both say they are going to bed. All that's left is Farel, Finnick, and I sitting at the table. Both males stare at me with an intensity that makes me squirm in my seat.

"What really happened?" Finnick asks me. Farel doesn't leave, wanting an explanation as well. I sigh, knowing I can't hide anything from my mentor and Farel couldn't possibly use this against me in the arena.

"Marvel offered me an alliance with the Careers. I said no of course." I say hastily as Farel's eyes darken. Finnick's expression is unreadable to me. An emotion plays across his face that I couldn't identify. Was it concern, sadness, pride? A mixture of all three?

"Who is Marvel?" he asks me quietly.

"The boy from District One." I reply. Finnick nods in a thoughtful manner.

"You made a smart move, rejecting his offer to join the alliance. Just be careful in the arena, he might hold a grudge against you because of it." Finnick tells me. He has a brooding expression on his face and walks away from the table, presumably to go to bed, saying to me that we'll talk strategy for getting a good score for training tomorrow. Farel and I walk to our rooms in silence. I suddenly felt drained of energy, wanting nothing more than to shower and rest. As we near our rooms Farel turns to me, his expression guarded like Marco's when he tries to protect me from the deadly creatures that lurk beneath the ocean's depths when we used to go diving when we were children.

"I agree with Finnick, you made a smart move. He might hold a grudge against you in the arena. Be wary." Farel says. I grin a little and sigh.

"How many more times am I going to hear that from you?" I ask. Farel's expression doesn't change.

"Until you understand that love has nothing to do with these Games. Loving or even liking someone from another district won't do well in the arena. It could get you killed." He goes to his room and shuts the door, very reminiscent of our first night at the Training Center. I go to my room angry. Why does everyone think I love Marvel and he loves me? I barely know him; we come from two very different worlds. It didn't make sense and I wasn't sure it ever would.

The next day after training Finnick asks me as we sit down on the navy blue chairs by the television, "What have you been practicing with in the training room?"

"The stars and some spear throwing." I reply automatically. Finnick gives me a funny look and I explain how the stars work. I had grown fond of the weapon. I was good at throwing it and I now believed I was as good as the Careers with the stars, if not better. I hope they have them in the arena.

"I have never heard of those before but make sure when you see the Gamemakers when it's your turn to get your training score to show your skill with them. Throwing some spears might not be bad either." Finnick advises once I finish my explanation. Three days later after that first day, it's time to receive our training scores. District One will go first and District Twelve will go last. The tribute boy from each district will go first then the girl. I watch as one by one the tributes go into the training room. Before Farel goes, he gives me a smile and says, "Good luck Lena."

"You too." I say, giving him a small smile back. I wait with anticipation for my turn. I could only imagine how Darena had felt with all this waiting. She always wanted things done right away and was never patient. Soon it's my turn and I enter the training room. I see that targets are set up and dummies with bulls eyes on them. The Gamemakers don't appear bored yet so I'm hopeful they will actually pay attention to me. I spot the stars immediately and pick one of them up, my hand wrapping around the weapon like I have used them my whole life and not just for four days. I fling my wrist, my aim steady and true. I could hear the thud of it hitting the bull's eye of a target as I reach down for another star. I fling star after star, each one hitting the dead center of the target. When all the stars ran out I saw the climbing bars. I still had a minute, two at the most, to show these Gamemakers what I could do. I was determined to get a good score, determined to show them the sister of Darena Martindale was tough and strong.

I went over to the climbing bars, climbed to the top and let adrenaline and instinct take over my mind and body. I just let everything fall away like when I first climbed these bars. I could feel myself dance on top of them and I felt like I was flying. I was a bird flying through the trees, ready to take flight and go wherever I wanted. I jumped back to the ground with a grace and smoothness that I never knew I had.

"Thank you. You may leave now." one of the Gamemakers said with awe. I nodded my head in affirmation and left the training room. As soon as I got back to my district's floor, I couldn't keep still, waiting for the scores to appear on the television.

"You probably did fine, child. You are strong." Mags had said to me as soon as I started pacing nervously. Farel and Finnick nodded in agreement. Annie just wound a strand of her dark hair around and around her finger, most likely nervous too. After what felt like forever the scores started to appear on the screen. I immediately sat down on the beige couch and everyone else gathered around me. Trylla, who hadn't had much to do with us for the past couple days and would stay for the rest of the Games along with our mentors, sat down beside me. I think she would be most helpful with our interviews.

"You two probably got wonderful scores." she says. The scores flash by and the only ones I remember is all the Careers, even Marvel, received high scores of eight, nine, or ten. Farel got a score of eight and my palms became sweaty as my name and picture flashed across the screen.

"A ten!" Trylla cries with joy. I barely register my score. All I feel is relief. A ten! It was a good score and would surely get me some sponsors.

"You really are proving yourself." Finnick says. I smile with pride. The training scores were done, the waiting and anticipation for them over. Now all I needed was something to give me an edge in the interview.


	8. The Interview

**Thanks to raisa864 for your review and to everyone who has viewed this story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Hunger Games.**_

"You're as stubborn as your sister!" Trylla cries in frustration.

"No, I'm not! None of these angles suit me." I say angrily. We had been discussing my interview strategy for over two hours and so far have accomplished almost nothing except how to walk in the shoes I'll be wearing and how to look as I wait for my turn to be interviewed. We have found that I'm not seductive or sexy, cocky or innocent. I'm witty but I'm not overly confident to go along with my wit. There is a knock on the door and Finnick comes into the room. It was an office-like room but it had big, comfy chairs and an end table in between them instead of computers and papers.

"Finally! You try to find something for her!" Trylla walks out of the room, her tall, neon pink heels making rapid clacking noises on the floor. Finnick sits in the chair that was occupied by Trylla with an amused expression on his face.

"Been giving her a rough time?" he asks me. I just sigh in exasperation.

"Come on, it couldn't have been that bad." Finnick says.

"Oh, but it was. I can't find an angle. I'm not even witty or confident enough to use that in the interview!" I say, raising my voice in anger when I came to the last sentence. Finnick furrows his eyebrows in concentration and we sit in silence. A minute or so later Finnick's eyes widen in amazement.

"Your sister." Finnick bursts out.

"What?" I ask, confused by his outburst.

"Your sister is your advantage in the interview. I'm sure there will be all sorts of questions about her, your family, and what it means to you to be in the Hunger Games, " Finnick says excitedly and pauses dramatically, making me laugh a little, before continuing. "You'll be the Legacy of District Four." I grin broadly. I could use this without having to be fake. It's an angle, a final hope for me to have a good interview. Finnick and I discuss what questions might be asked and I how would answer them. As I fall asleep that night I feel a bit better about the interview. I just hope that I can answer the questions without freezing up in fear.

When morning comes I wake up to see my prep team surrounding me along with Lativa.

"Rise and shine sweetheart." Lativa says with a bright smile. My prep team works on me for a long time. I don't know how long, lost in thought about what I'm going to say in the interview. I was starting to get nervous. They paint my nails a soft green-blue color and put mascara on my lashes, making them look darker and longer than they already were. Mona puts eyeliner around my eyes, drawing out the dramatic green color of my eyes. Silver eye shadow is dusted onto my eyelids and my skin seems to glow as they scrub it down. A shiny powder, similar to the one they put on me for the Tribute Parade, makes me shimmer and shine. I could feel Tarena take my long hair and side braid a section, twisting the rest of it into a ponytail. The end of the ponytail was curly and wavy, making the simple hairstyle look sophisticated. Lativa walked in as Victor put on the finishing touches.

"This has to be the best dress I have designed yet." Lativa exclaims. I stare at the ceiling, not wanting to see how I looked yet. All I could see was a shimmery fabric as I put on the dress. I kept staring up at the ceiling as I put on my shoes, small heels similar to the ones I practiced in with Trylla. I stopped looking at the ceiling and turned my gaze to the mirror. My eyes widened in amazement. I looked even better than when I was in the Tribute Parade. My heels were silvery blue, glistening like diamonds because of their shine. The dress was a deep, emerald green. It was long but not too long, and form fitting. There was some see-through fabric by my rib cage that had green glitter in it. The dress had a halter top and was the most amazing thing I had ever worn. It glowed like my skin and seemed to glimmer as I walked.

"Wow, thank you." I say softly. The prep team's eyes shine with tears as they gush about how beautiful I look. Lativa dismisses them and then turns to me, her smile radiant.

"You don't look beautiful, you look gorgeous. No one will be able to take their eyes off you tonight." Lativa says to me. I blush, thinking of what Farel had told me about Marvel. _He couldn't take his eyes off you. _Lativa and I leave the room to meet up with everyone else. Farel's eyes widen as I come up to him.

"You look...you look..." he stutters."Amazing." Finnick says warmly. Farel just nods in agreement, still staring at me in wonder. Farel is dressed in a dark blue suit, scales and shells decorating it, and his sandy hair is combed back. All the tributes line up on the large stage in an arc. I'm instantly overcome with nerves. What if I mess up? What if I don't say anything when it's my turn? I could see Marvel's gaze on me as the tributes sit down. I didn't have enough time to read his expression because he is called for his interview. The waiting begins, just like when we received our training scores.

Caesar Flickerman, the interviewer who interviewed Darena when she was a tribute, has chosen midnight and powder blue as his color scheme this year. His hair is blue, his lips, and his suit twinkles from all the lights on it. I try to remain poised and try to relax. Finnick told me if I get nervous Caesar will help me in some small way. It's Farel's turn and I hardly listen to the interview, too wrapped up in my nerves to pay attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen please welcome this year's female tribute from District Four, Lena Martindale!" Casear calls. I could hear the audience's applause like waves in my ears as I calmly walk up the stage to Caesar.

"Now, you wouldn't happen to be the sister of Darena Martindale?" Caesar says as I sit down. My mind is numb but I still respond in a coherent manner.

"Yes, she was my sister." I say my voice strong, steady, and soft. The audience makes sympathetic noises at my response.

"I see. This must be a big opportunity for you. How do you feel about what has happened so far in these Games?" Caesar asks me with an encouraging smile.

"It's...different. I know that Darena must have done the same things that I'm doing and I remember how she looked at the Tribute Parade and at her interview. I always wonder what she was feeling, what was going through her mind. She's always in my thoughts." I reply.

"She would be very proud of you, I'm sure." The audience nods in agreement. They seem captivated by the girl with the dead sister who was once a tribute in the Hunger Games.

"What is your goal, your strategy, for this?" Caesar asks. It seems like a rhetorical question, and right now I know exactly how to answer.

"To play by the rules I'm given, to win when my sister couldn't. I want to make sure no one forgets the Martindale sisters." My voice is firm and confident. It was my goal; I would win for Darena and for my family. The audience applauds wildly, my words determined and igniting a wave of assurance that no one will forget me after tonight. Caesar grins at me.

"One last question, Lena. I think we all thought you looked very beautiful in the Tribute Parade. Tonight you look exquisite. How did you feel at the parade?" The audience quiets down, waiting impatiently for my response. I find Lativa over where the stylists are on the stage and smile at her.

"I felt beautiful, like the prettiest girl in the whole Games." I reply. I could hear a buzzer sound, signaling my time was up. Caesar stands up and so do I.

"Everyone give it up for Lena Martindale, Legacy of District Four!" Caesar exclaims. The audience is clapping crazily and I think I see a few people stand up. I walk off the stage, proud of my performance. I didn't even stumble in the heels I wore and had no mishaps with dress. I walk by the other tributes over to Finnick when I hear my name. I turn slightly to see the broad frame of Marvel, his smile flirtatious.

"You look beautiful, Lena." He tells me and then walks back to Glimmer. I stare at him a moment in contemplation, not sure if he's serious or not. My cheeks burn, just like they always do whenever Marvel is around. I go over to Finnick and he smiles at me with pride. Trylla is there too, her smile wide and glowing.

"You did a wonderful job Lena! Just wonderful!" Trylla chatters.

"Good job. You had the audience hooked." Finnick tells me. I beam with pride.

"Thanks." Everyone chats excitedly about mine and Farel's performances in our interviews. At dinner that night, I think I'm the only one who notices the brooding expression on Finnick's face.


	9. Let the Games Begin

**Thanks for all the reviews! **

**Disclaimer: **_**The Hunger Games **_**is owned by Suzanne Collins.**

After dinner final good-byes are made by everyone to Trylla, Finnick, Annie, and Mags. They wouldn't join us on the way to the arena. Instead, they would go to the Gamecenter to get us sponsors to help us in the Games. The only people who will be with Farel and me before we are sent into the arena will be Lativa and Farel's designer.

"You'll be fine. Remember all I've told you and stay alive. You can win." Finnick tells me as I hug him. Tears spring to my eyes at this. He sounds so sure that I'll win but I don't know if I will. All I know is I will try to win and do whatever it takes to do so. I hug Annie and Mags and both women give me encouraging smiles.

"Your sister would be proud." Mags whispers in my ear as I embrace her, echoing Caesar's words in the interview. I say good-bye to Trylla and I go to my room. I shower, put on a shirt and pants, and lay in bed, thinking. I never questioned Finnick about his expression after the interview at dinner. I wasn't sure why I didn't, I just felt that he was thinking and he wanted to keep his thoughts to himself.

I toss and turn for hours, anxious about tomorrow. Finally, I can stand it no longer and crawl out of bed, open the door, and creep down the hallway to the balcony. Maybe the fresh air will relax me and I can think of home and my family. I pad quietly towards the balcony, grateful nobody is there. I breathe in the air, imagining the salty tang that always seems to be in the air back home from the sea. I close my eyes, picturing the ocean to my right, the lake far to the left, and the house that I live in that looks almost like a cottage. I begin to relax and I open my eyes, walking back to my room. I lie back in bed and fall into a fitful sleep, not entirely relaxed but enough where I can rest.

I wake up at dawn to see Lativa in my room with a simple white shift in her hands. I put it on and we walk to the roof. A big, silver hovercraft appears above us as we step onto the roof, a ladder falling down for us to grasp. I hang onto the ladder and a jolt runs through me, freezing me to the ladder, as I'm lifted up into the belly of the hovercraft. The jolt that froze me to the ladder does not release me as a woman with a white lab coat and syringe slowly walks towards me.

"Hold still for me Lena. This will be your tracker so we can find you in the arena." The woman talks in a calm manner and she sticks the needle portion of the syringe into my arm. It hurts for about a second and then I'm released from the ladder. Lativa is lifted into the hovercraft and we are on our way to the arena. I eat as much food as I can, wanting to have enough energy in the arena. I start to become anxious and nervous, not sure what to expect from the Gamemakers. Soon the inside of the hovercraft darkens and we go down the ladder once again into the catacombs of the arena. Lativa and I walk to the Launch Room or Stockyard as all the districts call it, using the instructions given to us to find our way there. I don't think about whether Darena used this room or not. I will be the only tribute who gets prepared for the Games in here. I get ready, brushing my teeth, and putting on the attire required to be worn by all the tributes in the arena. The outfit consisted of light brown pants, a green blouse, tight socks, a long, black jacket, a brown belt, and a pair of good, leather boots. Lativa twists my hair back into a bun and I watch as she reaches for something on the counter.

"Where did you find it?" I ask as Lativa inserts Darena's clip into my hair. It holds all of my hair and no strands were falling out yet. Lativa smiles at me.

"Finnick gave it to me. He said to make sure you wore it for the Games because it's your token." Lativa tells me. We wait on a red couch. I clutch Lativa's hand. I was scared. What horrible things lay before me in the arena? We don't speak, both nervous for what's going to happen. A couple minutes later I walk onto the silver plate that's in the middle of the room. Lativa stands before me, proud and beaming.

"Win, Lena. Remember everything your mentor has told you. Remember Darena and make sure to find water. You can, no, you will win." Tears of gratitude flood down my cheeks as a cylinder of glass incases me. I feel myself being lifted up and up and up until I feel the wind on my face and see the bright sunshine. I wait for the sixty second countdown, ready to spring into action. I see the Cornucopia in all its golden glory. This year's arena was woodsy with trees everywhere. I could see the lake and a field off to the side of the arena. I don't pay attention to the other tributes, ready to spring into action. I could see the stars and knew they were put there for me.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games begin!" I could hear the booming voice of the Games' announcer, Cladius Templesmith, echo around me. I hear the sound of the gong and I start running, surprised I didn't get blown up for leaving my circle too fast. I avoid the Careers and their victims to the best of my ability. I grab all the stars I can carry and stick them in a backpack I find nearby. I grab a knife and start running towards the forest, dodging tributes and leaping over dead bodies. I keep running, not stopping until I can no longer hear the screams of death and the sound of weapons digging their way into living flesh. I climb up into a tree, just to be safe, and unload my backpack. I have about fifteen stars, all silver, all wicked sharp, and all deadly. I dig around some more, finding a canteen for water, iodine for purification, a large plastic bag, and some rope. I glance at the knife I managed to get. It looked like a hunting knife, nothing like the ones Clove was using in the training room. I put my things into my backpack and jump down from the tree. I hear the boom of the cannon, one after another, until it stops at eleven. Eleven tributes dead. I hope none of them are Farel, wanting him to win if I couldn't. I then started moving; trying to find water like Finnick told me.

I walk for about thirty minutes, marveling at the arena. The forest was peaceful and beautiful, with leafy trees, overhanging branches, and green grass. I manage to kill an unknown wild bird but it looked safe to eat. I eat some of its meat and store the rest in the plastic for later. I knew that the peace in the forest could not last long. Thirteen tributes are still alive and who knows when I could run into them. I hear loud voices and the crashing of more than one person walking through the forest. I start running. I could hear people running after me, cries of triumph filling the area at finding their next kill. I don't look behind me, I just keep going. I finally stop when I reach the lake. There was nowhere to run; I could hear voices from all sides of me.

"Told you she would be useful. Lead us straight to the lake." I recognized the voice as Marvel's as he and the other Careers walk towards the lake. I was surprised to see the boy from District Twelve, the one who loves Katniss, Peeta, amongst the group. I stiffen, not sure if I should reach into my brown belt for my knife or not.

"That doesn't prove anything." Glimmer says her voice askance. They all surround me now. I look into each of their eyes and I stand up straighter, glaring at them.

"Are you going to debate my usefulness or kill me?" I ask my voice cold and menacing. Cato smirks at me.

"Depends on your choice, Fish Girl." he informs me. I narrow my eyes at his name for me.

"What choice?"

"Marvel I know asked you to join our alliance. He told us you refused. You can change your mind now and we won't kill you. Otherwise..." Cato brings out his sword, gazing at it idly. I don't just glare at him, I glower at him. I also wonder why they need me anyways but don't voice this question out loud.

"That's how you'll play then, with threats?" I snarl.

"Make your decision now." Clove snaps at me. I narrow my eyes. I don't want to die but I don't want to be forced into this alliance with the Careers.

"I'll join your alliance." I say resentfully. After that, everyone starts to fill canteens with water. The Careers talk as Peeta and I sit together. I don't trust the Careers as far as I can throw them, which isn't very far. As I drank from my canteen I knew Marvel was looking my way, probably trying to figure me out. I kept my face expressionless. I would show no emotion to these powerful tributes.

"Why'd you join?" Peeta asks me as he takes a sip of water. I glance at the lake, longing to swim in it but not knowing what lurked beneath its depths.

"It's better than death." I reply simply. Peeta shakes his head.

"You wouldn't have died even if you said no. Marvel wouldn't let it happen." Peeta says. I raise an eyebrow at this but I don't say anything. The sun starts to set and soon night falls in. I move inland, knowing the breeze from the lake will be cold. Everyone else in the alliance seems to follow my lead. The anthem plays and the death toll begins. I give a small cry of horror when I see Farel's face in the sky. He's dead. I couldn't believe it. I thought he would last longer than this. A silent tear rolls down my cheek and I quickly wipe it away. I can't show weakness here. I need to be strong and win for one more person, for one more friend.

"Who's taking first watch?" Cato asks.

"I will." I volunteer. I don't want to fall asleep and end up with a knife in my back. Glimmer looks at me, her eyes calculating.

"What if you kill us in our sleep?" she demands. Everyone looks at me.

"I give you my word I won't kill you." I say meaningfully. Nobody seems completely satisfied with my answer but they all soon fall asleep and I scan the shadows for signs of threats. My first night into the Hunger Games and I'm already in an alliance that my mentor didn't want me in.


	10. The Career Alliance

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Hunger Games.**_

As I take first watch, my eyes start to droop. I'm tired after all the running I did earlier today. I keep myself awake by filling up my canteen again and pacing, keeping a watchful eye on the sleeping tributes. I don't know how long I kept watch, thinking it must've been a few hours. I didn't know who to wake up next, nobody volunteered to take the second watch earlier. I sit down, leaning against a tree. Soon I could hear someone stirring nearby. I snap wide awake until I realize it's Cato. He walks over to me and I'm almost scared he's going to kill me.

"Wake up the others, it has to be almost dawn." he orders. I nod, gently shaking the two girls awake.

"We've got to get going." I say in a gentle voice as the girls look at me with bleary eyes. Next I get Peeta up and all that's left is Marvel. He looks peaceful when he's asleep, no trace of cockiness or arrogance on his face. He looks handsome, young, and vulnerable.

"Like what you see?" Cato asks me with a smirk. I glare at him and shake Marvel awake. When we're all awake Cato says we're going "hunting." I feel sick to my stomach. I don't want to go hunting with this pack for other tributes, or even food for that matter, but if I don't I die. I have no choice. We start tramping through the woods. I stumble constantly in the dark and I didn't see how all the others could see in this darkness. I almost fall flat on my face as I trip over a root but someone catches me, putting something into my hands.

"Put these on. Maybe then you can actually see." Marvel's voice says in my ear.

"Thanks." I realize the object in my hand is a pair of glasses and I put them on, everything becoming clearer. I could see everyone moving forward and Marvel and Peeta in front of me. Soon I see smoke and Cato gives us all a savage grin. We have found a tribute. We quietly creep towards them. Through the trees I could see it was a girl with curly brown hair, trying to keep warm. I didn't want to kill her as Cato slowly walks towards her. The girl whirls around to face Cato, fear written all over her face.

"Please don't kill me! Please, oh please, don't kill me!" she pleads. Cato draws his sword slowly, savoring the moment of this girl being helpless to stop her death.

"Too late." he says viciously and I squeeze my eyes shut for an instant but it doesn't block out the sound of the girl's throat being slit. I open my eyes, avoiding looking at the girl. Clove rummages through the girl's supplies, protruding a canteen, some crackers, and some herbs.

"This isn't any good." she says in disgust. Everyone nods in agreement but me. I slowly walk over to the supplies, sticking them in my backpack, disgusted at myself for doing this.

"What are you doing Fish Girl?" Glimmer asks me.

"It's Lena. This could all be useful later on." I snap. We move on, nobody saying anything to me, talking in triumph over the girl's death.

"I hope she's dead. I haven't heard the cannon yet." Clove remarks as we head back towards the lake.

"She is. Killed her myself." Cato replies smugly.

"Someone should still go check." Marvel mutters.

"I'll go check and then we can get going!" Peeta says. I glance at him in surprise as he walks off to make sure the girl is dead. I hear the Careers all huddle together, talking in hushed voices. I want no part of the conversation; I just scan the trees with my night glasses. You never know who could be lurking in the shadows nearby.

"He's our best chance of finding her." I hear Cato say as I spot a lone figure strapped down to a tree. I squint a little and realize it's Katniss, the girl Peeta's in love with. Cato is only keeping Peeta around to find Katniss and kill her, I realize. I don't give Katniss away. I may be in an alliance with the Careers but that doesn't mean I have to like them, or tell them everything.

"Is she dead now?" Cato asks as Peeta comes back.

"Now she is." he replies. The sound of a cannon fires and soon we are moving on as the sun rises.

We arrive back at the lake. I fill both my canteens to the brim and set up some snares nearby; using all the complicated knots I know to catch something. I give some of my crackers to the others and share the rest of the wild bird I had caught the other day. I catch two more wild birds and a rabbit. I skin the rabbit and defeather the wild birds, saving them for later. It's about mid afternoon when I see the fire coming towards us, billowing smoke and ash.

"Move!" Marvel yells. We all start running into the woods where there isn't any fire. I could smell smoke but didn't see the flames yet. I kept running until I heard the splash and gurgle of a spring. I heard more splashing and I knew someone was nearby. Through the trees I could see Katniss, her dark hair singed and in a braid, dipping her fingers in the cold water. She sees me and immediately starts running and begins to climb up a tree a ways away from the spring. I follow her at a non-threatening pace.

"You need to move faster, they're almost here." I warn, trying to let her know the Careers want her dead. She seems to understand because she starts climbing faster as I reach the tree she's climbing and the rest of my alliance arrives at the tree as Katniss reaches the top of it.

"Having fun down there?" she calls down cheerfully.

"Yes, are you?" Cato responds, a bit taken aback. I smirk. The girl on fire really does have a spark in her.

"It's nice up here, not as warm down there. You going to come up?" she says. Night is beginning to fall and it's hard to see Katniss way up in the treetops but I can hear the grin in her voice.

"I think I will." Glimmer walks over to Cato, offering him her bow and arrows that she must've gotten at the Cornucopia. Cato shakes his head and instead takes out his sword and begins to scale the tree. It doesn't take long for him to fall back to the ground, hard. I almost laugh as he starts to swear. Glimmer tries to climb but she, too, falls as a branch cracks under her weight.

"Why don't you try climbing up there Lena?" Marvel asks me. I shrug.

"The tree won't hold my weight." I knew full well that it would hold my weight. I was about Katniss' size, maybe a bit smaller, but none of the others knew that or weren't observant enough to figure it out. It starts to get darker and there isn't enough light for anyone to get a good shot at killing Katniss.

"Just let her stay up there. She has to come down sometime." Peeta says. Nobody likes this idea of waiting but complies with what he says. I don't want to wait to kill her at all. Clove starts a fire and then fell asleep, leaving Cato and Glimmer the only ones by it. I sit off to the side. I start to get tired, not having any rest in almost a day. I don't know how I keep going. I start to nod off but the dying crackle of the fire keeps me wide awake. I watch the shadows for predators, human or not. The fire dies away and I watch as Cato and Glimmer fall asleep.

"You can't stay up all night. You have to rest too." Marvel says quietly. I jump slightly at the sound of his voice, jarring me out of my sleepy thoughts.

"And have a knife get stuck in my back? No thanks." I could hear Marvel sigh. He must be pretty close by.

"You need sleep, Lena. I'll watch your back." Marvel says. I could sense someone shift towards me. I assumed it was Marvel.

"You promise you'll watch my back?" I whisper as I lay down, closing my eyes.

"Promise, no one's going to hurt you." I breathe deeply and slowly, and soon I start to fall asleep. My last coherent thought was I could feel Marvel lay down beside me, his chest against my back. This was the first time I felt safe as Marvel wrapped his arms protectively around me. I didn't push him away.


	11. Tracker Jackers and Stories

**Thank you to everyone who has viewed this story. Even if you're from a different country or anything, please review.**

**Disclaimer: Suzanne Collins owns **_**The Hunger Games.**_

I woke up to the sounds of people screaming. I opened my eyes and all I could see was the Careers running frantically about in some sort of frenzy.

"Ouch." I swat at what stung me and realize we are surrounded by wasps, wasps that look suspiciously like the dangerous, sometimes deadly, tracker jackers. I could hear someone yelling to go to the lake as I grab my pack and start running. The world starts to tilt as I run and I become increasingly dizzy. I trip over what I assumed was a root but when I looked at it, it was a large snake. I shriek in fear and I notice an orange liquid surrounds me and it burns my skin as it touches me. I bit back another shriek as I get up and start running again. I fall again, this time I don't get back up. I see the large snake again and then I see Darena and she smiles serenely at me. Then I hear her scream. It was horrible but I didn't have the strength to cover my ears. I felt like I was dying.

"You're dead." I croak and then darkness envelopes me as I sink deep into unconsciousness.

I could hear the crackle of a fire and the snap of driftwood. It must be cold outside and Father is making a fire in the hearth. I listen even more closely and find it strange that I can't hear the ocean's waves or the gulls. That's when it all comes rushing back to me and I remember I'm not back home but in a place where someone is making a fire by me and that someone could kill me in my vulnerable state. I snap my eyes open, looking around blearily. I somehow ended up by a little pond, just inches from the water. I don't see the snake or my sister. I don't even hear screaming. The venom from the tracker jackers must've made me hallucinate. I sit up and my head swims. I sit still for a moment until my head stops pounding and making me dizzy.

"Well, well, the sleeping beauty finally awakes." I turn my head to see Marvel sat by a small fire, roasting meat over it. I raise an eyebrow at him.

"I'm a beauty, huh?" I reply. Marvel's face turns a light shade of pink, probably because of the heat from the fire. He spins the meat.

"It's almost done. Are you hungry?" I nod and soon we are feasting on rabbit meat and some squirrel meat. I look through my pack to find the crackers and I split the last bit with Marvel.

"Shouldn't we save these?" he asks me. I shake my head.

"No. There's plenty of food here from the pond and the forest." I say. I riffle through my pack again, relieved that everything is still in there.

"How long was I out?" I ask as I zip my pack back up. Marvel leans back against a tree.

"I think three days. Maybe two. Glimmer's dead." Marvel adds the last sentence as an afterthought but I could hear a slight tremor in his voice.

"I'm sorry." I say quietly. Marvel looks at me, his face unreadable.

"The boy from your district's dead too, right?" I nod, tears springing to my eyes. I blink them back quickly.

"So, what do we do next?" Marvel asks, changing the subject.

"I don't want to go back. If you want to, that's fine, but don't expect me to follow." I say this quickly, hoping Marvel won't kill me for it. He doesn't say anything to this just closes his eyes and leans his head back. I noticed that the stingers were pulled out of my stings and they weren't as swelled up as I thought they would be. I had one on my left hand and one on my neck. I was surprised I didn't have more. Marvel I could see had one on his leg but that was it. I thought Marvel had fallen asleep the silence stretched so long.

"I'll stick with you. You might need my protection." he finally says, opening his eyes and throwing me a cocky grin. I roll my eyes and can't help but smile.

"Yes, that's exactly what I need, your protection." I say sarcastically. He laughs and I douse the fire, hiding my pack under a bunch of leaves and camouflaging it. I take some of the rope, a star, and my hunting knife while Marvel grabs a net and his spear.

"How did you get that?" I ask as he takes the net out of his pack and I quickly camouflage it, hiding it beside mine.

"Got it at the Cornucopia." he replies. I don't push any further. We start hunting in the woods for food, working together like we had done it all our lives. I set several snares and we catch quite a bit of game. I manage to teach Marvel how to set up snares and traps while he helps me with my knife skills. Marvel sets his net up and then we go back to the pond. We cook the meat again and I wrap the leftovers in the plastic, saving it for later. We refill our canteens too. Night soon falls and we have been quiet most of the afternoon. The anthem plays and no tributes have died today. I, strangely, don't feel tired and neither does Marvel because his next words are, "What's life like in District Four?" I hesitate, unsure if I should tell him anything. Then I start talking about home, how my family owns a shipping business and my brother builds the ships. I tell him how my father has sailed out of Panem to get supplies for the nation and how my mother stays at home and makes maps. I talk about the scenery, how blue the ocean and lake is and how beautiful the beaches are. I tell stories from my childhood, some I had never told anyone until now. I also tell Marvel about Darena and Marco and how Darena wanted to work in the fishing industry, catching the fish and selling them. She had always been good at fishing and she and Father had taught me how to fish almost as soon as I could walk.

"What happened to your sister?" Marvel asks me when I'm done describing District Four.

"What do you mean?" My voice is rigid, not cold, just stiff.

"You talk about her in the past tense." I don't know what to say. I don't know whether I should tell him about Darena or not. Then I see the pointlessness of it. He probably saw the year she was in the Games.

"She was a tribute in the Sixty-Fifth Hunger Games. She died half-way through when a tribute from Three killed her." I say softly. Marvel doesn't say anything for a moment.

"I'm sorry." he finally says. He actually sounds sincere too. I turn my body towards him, a small smile on my face.

"Enough about my life. What's District One like?" I ask. Marvel faces me and doesn't hesitate to talk about his home and family. He tells me how the district was very nice, not quite like the Capitol but close to it, with bright lights and bustling city noise. His father was a gold maker and his mother owned a jewelry store. He had a little sister who was nine named Emerald or Emma for short. Marvel talked fondly of his sister and I could tell he loved her. I think he could've talked about her for hours, just like I could talk about Darena for hours. He told stories about his sister and when he was younger. It was nice to hear about someone else's life, about someone else from another district. Soon he stops talking and we fall into a companionable silence. After a while Marvel says, "We should probably get some sleep." I lay down on my side, feeling very tired, getting into the most comfortable position I could on the ground. I could feel Marvel lay down beside me.

"Watch my back?" I mumble sleepily, closing my eyes.

"Always."


	12. The Final Hour

**Wow, thanks everyone for the reviews! I did not expect them. I made myself cry writing this chapter so it should be very emotional. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Hunger Games.**_

I could feel someone's arms around me. They feel protective and I feel safe. I snuggle in deeper against the person, trying to stay warm in the early morning chill and I could feel their arms tighten around me gently. Early morning? I open my eyes to see hazel eyes staring back at me. I quickly disentangle myself from Marvel, shrinking back against a tree. I can't do this, I can't! We could end up killing each other and I would feel horrible. I could see the slight pain in Marvel's eyes, like he was thinking the same thing.

"Sorry." he mumbles. I just grab some of the rabbit meat from yesterday and split the last of it, not saying a word, pretending nothing happened. I knew my cheeks were a bright red.

"Want to fish?" I ask as soon as Marvel's done eating. His eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"How?" I grin. I reach my hand out for his spear and he gives it to me, his expression skeptical. I look in the pond for a moment, spot a fish, and spear it. I cup my hand under the fish and bring the spear out of the fish. I notice I hit it right in the heart so it didn't suffer much.

"Like that." I say simply as I begin to skin the fish and get the scales off it. Marvel tries to fish and fails miserably. By late afternoon we only had about four fish to eat. He asks me several times if I want to try. I would always say no, finding it hilarious as Marvel tries to catch fish. I would smile watching him and I don't think he cared much.

"How do you do it?" Marvel asks me in exasperation. I grin.

"Magic." I reply. Marvel rolls his eyes at me.

"Or living in the fishing district." he retorts. We eat a quick meal of roasted fish and then decide to check the snares. I check the snares I set and Marvel will check his and the net. I had set four and caught two of the wild birds. I left the two untouched snares, hopeful that sometime later in the day I'll catch something. I start to head back to our camp when I heard someone yelling far away to my right. It sounded like screaming as I listened. I drop my game and start sprinting. I don't know who is screaming but Marvel could be in trouble. I come to the spot where he set his net. I see the little girl from Eleven, Rue, caught in the net. Marvel throws his spear at her as she cries out for Katniss. Katniss runs out of the trees and over to Rue, murder in her eyes. I make my decision without thinking and little thought of what would happen. All I saw was Katniss loading her bow with her arrow, ready to fire right at Marvel.

"Marvel!" I scream. I jump out in front of him and feel the arrow pierce my rib cage. I didn't register the pain; I just ripped the arrow out of my abdomen, grabbed Marvel's hand and ran faster than I had the whole entire time I've been in the Games. I grab our packs as we run by our camp and we keep going. I start to get dizzy after a while, my mind not knowing why.

"Lena, we can rest here." Marvel says. His voice is urgent and he looks worried. I don't argue. I sit down by one of the trees, panting and out of breath. I take out my canteen and gulp down the water. It was then that I registered the pain I was in and I cried out. I looked down and could see blood dripping steadily from my wound. I must have been dizzy from the blood loss. Marvel was there beside me in a second.

"We need to bandage that up." he says. I was about to ask how when he takes off his jacket and rips off his shirt. He was very toned, but thin. I think he had a six pack but I wasn't sure because he soon put his jacket on and zipped it up. He started shredding his shirt into strips. I could feel the blood leave my body slowly.

"You're going to have to lift your shirt up." Marvel tells me gently. I hesitate. "It's okay, Lena. Nothing bad will happen to you." Marvel reassures me. I lift my shirt up to my rib cage and Marvel bandages me up. Blood started to appear on his makeshift bandage as I pulled my shirt down. Twilight was already here and it wouldn't be long before the sky would become dark. Marvel sits close to me, glancing at me to make sure I was okay.

"You took an arrow for me, Lena. Why'd you do it?" Marvel asks me. He sounds desperate, like my answer means everything to him. Maybe it really does.

"You would've done the same for me." I reply.

"There has to be more to it." Marvel presses. I looked deep inside myself to answer. Why did I take that arrow? Why didn't I just let Katniss shoot him? _Because I love him,_ I think. Marvel blinks in surprise and I realize I spoke my thought out loud. In the dim light I knew my cheeks were pink. He sits closer to me and wraps his arms around me. I lean against his chest and I could hear his heart beat, steady and strong.

"I love you too. As soon as I saw you at the Tribute Parade I fell for you." He paused a moment. I didn't say anything, letting him continue. "You are the most beautiful girl I have ever met. You're probably the prettiest tribute here. Your eyes are beautiful and your hair. You don't let anyone stand in your way, you're independent, and...and..." His voice falters and this is the first time I ever heard Marvel get choked up with emotion.

"You are handsome, arrogant, and cocky but I love you, Marvel. I love you despite everything." I whisper. I start to lay down, exhausted, but before I could I feel a soft pair of lips on mine, kissing me with love and sweet passion, not trying to take advantage of me. I could feel him take out the clip in my hair, my hair falling down to my back, him gently running his fingers through it. It was the first time I had my hair down in the Games. It was all too soon when we broke apart and we lay down, me resting my head on Marvel's chest with his arms wrapped around me. I knew I wouldn't make it until morning. I was dying, dying in the arms of the boy I loved from District One. I wasn't afraid, I knew what would happen. It didn't stop the steady stream of tears coming down my face.

"I love you. You promise to watch my back?" I say for the last time. Marvel plants a kiss on my lips, cheeks, forehead, and finally on my head.

"I love you too and I'll always protect you." he says and begins stroking my hair gently. I close my eyes and slowly fade into oblivion. All I remember is Marvel, his love, and how he kissed me as I felt myself drift away. Darkness swam in my vision. Then a bright light appeared and I could see Darena, dressed in white, her blonde hair in waves, standing by a curlicue, golden bridge. Farel was beside her and he glowed with pride as he saw me. I watched as he walked onto the bridge and away into the clouds. I could hear laughter as he disappeared. I turned my gaze back to Darena. She seemed to embrace me, something I had missed since she had died. _You did well, sister. You_ _did well and you will see him again soon._ I could hear her say. I believed her and waited for Marvel, the boy I loved, to meet me here at the golden bridge.


	13. Moving Forward

**The rest of the story will be written in Marvel's point of view except the very last chapter, which will be written in Lena's brother, Marco's, point of view. The end is nearing everyone!:( Thanks for the reviews and views!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Hunger Games._**

I hadn't even fallen asleep when I heard the loud boom of the cannon echo through the night. I looked down at the figure in my arms. She looked peaceful, her features soft and there was a slight smile on her face. I slowly unwrapped myself from her, laying her down gently on the ground. Her eyes were closed and her black hair spilled out around her in waves. I took her clip, sticking it in my pack. I needed something to remember her by. I wouldn't forget her. I leaned down and kissed her forehead. I put her supplies into my pack, knowing she would want me to have them. I start moving forward, only taking one backwards glance at the dark haired beauty on the ground. Lena was dead and I could feel tears fall down my face. I wiped them away, trying to show no emotion, yet I couldn't. I meant what I said when I told Lena I loved her. I would miss her.

"I'll win for you." I say into the darkness. There's no response and I don't expect one, knowing no one's there. The sun starts to rise and the birds begin to sing and I'm still walking. I don't know what I'm going to do now that Lena's gone. _Kill the girl on fire. _The thought comes to me and I become angry. She's the reason that Lena is dead, her and the little girl from District Eleven. I didn't mean to spear her, it was instinct. I remember Cato wanted the fire girl dead too. I haven't seen his name in the sky yet. I could find him and Clove and we could kill the girl on fire. I would make sure I would be the one to kill her, not Cato or Clove. I wanted vengeance. I sit down by a spring to get water and eat when I hear the voice of Cladius Templesmith.

"Attention tributes. A new rule has been made. Two tributes from the same district can become victors. That is all." I hear the booming voice fade. I could still find Clove and Cato. We can kill the girl on fire, who is probably looking for Lover Boy. We could kill them both and then I could pick the tributes off one by one. I could still win and I will win for her. I'm about to leave the spring when I notice something glinting and silver come toward me. It was a parachute, the first one I had gotten since I'd entered the arena. I was confused. What would my mentor, Cashmere, have sent me? I open the parachute to find a note and a compass. The compass was well made, bronze with no tarnish on it. I could see the rose that's on all compasses very clearly and there were some engravings of ships and waves on it. It could've only come from one place, one place that would need a compass to find their way on the water, and that's District Four. I take the compass out of the parachute and read the note attached carefully:

_Hope the compass serves you well in the arena. It was her sister's and then it was past down to Lena. Now it's yours. We stand behind you. You need to win for her._

_-Martindale_

Martindale. The compass and note were from Lena's family. Even in death she was looking out for me. I put the note in my pack and I start to move forward with the Lena's compass. I figured I would go back to the lake, see if Clove and Cato were there. I didn't remember exactly where the lake was but I found my way there, the compass helping me out a lot. When I arrived at the lake the sun was at its zenith and there was no one there. It looked like a land mine had gone off here because the ground was scorched and there were patches of black sand and grass. The lake looked untouched, it still glittered in the sunlight, looking like glass. I remembered a story Lena had told me a day ago. It was the year before her sister was reaped and she and Lena had gone fishing.

"We went out onto the lake on our family's little fishing boat. We called her _Little Pearl_ because the wood was a creamy color, like a pearl. We had been fishing for a long time and we had caught nothing. I saw something in the shallower portion of the water." Lena had said. She was smiling fondly at the memory, something I hadn't seen in the Games. It made her look even more beautiful. "'Go over there, Dee! I see something!' I had told her. She had looked skeptical, probably thinking I was imagining things. I had directed her to where I had been looking and I reached into the water, and brought out a clam. 'Does it have a pearl in it?' I had asked her. 'I don't know, Lena. We can find out.' She took one of the knives we had on the boat, cut the clam open, and there weere two, pearly pink pearls in there. Darena had kept them in a safe she had gotten and sometimes she would take them out and we would gaze at them, remembering. After she died, I had taken the pearls into my room, to remember her." Lena finished her story, her expression wistful.

"I had never told anyone that story." she had said quietly. The lake reminded me of her story. I didn't know why, it just did. I figured something must've happened by the lake and Cato and Clove were somewhere in the forest. Knowing them, they were probably close to the lake somewhere. Using the compass I headed north from the lake. I walked for a while trying to find them. Then I heard voices to my right. I was a couple miles in the forest, not extremely close to the lake, but not really far from it either.

"We should find him, Cato. He might've seen her and we could work together and kill her." I could hear a girl's voice say. It was Clove, and she sounded close by.

"I guess we could. We could finish off Lover Boy while we're at it. She'll probably go find him now that the rules have changed." I hear Cato say. I start moving towards the sound of their voices, rustling the brush so they knew someone was there.

"Someone's coming." Clove whispers. I could hear her and Cato drawing their weapons. I emerge from the treeline to see Cato and Clove. They look different from when I last saw them. Their stings from the wasps weren't swelled up but they looked haggard, like they hadn't eaten for a couple days. They put their weapons down slowly. I think I could see relief in their expressions.

"You're alive." Cato says. He sounded slightly amazed. I nodded and sat down by them. Clove seemed to be studying me, like I was a puzzle she was trying to figure out. I kept my face expressionless. I needed to keep the pain I was feeling over Lena a secret. I needed to be ruthless, not a boy wallowing over a girl's death in the arena.

"Where is she?" Clove asks me. I knew who she was talking about but I still raised an eyebrow at her.

"Who?"

"The girl from Four. What was her name again?" Clove turns to Cato, who was sharpening his sword in the dying afternoon light.

"I think we called her Fish Girl but her name was Lena." I bristled slightly at the mention of how they had called Lena Fish Girl. They both look at me expectantly, waiting for my answer. I gaze out at the sunset. It was starting to get cooler and night was coming.

"She died." I say simply. Cato raises an eyebrow at this.

"Did you kill her?" he asks me. He resumes sharpening his sword and Clove starts throwing her knife at the ground in boredom. She would throw it at the ground, take it out, and start throwing it again.

"No. I didn't see her after Twelve dropped the nest on us." I lie. I didn't want to tell them that I helped her and the reason we never went to the lake was because I wanted to protect Lena and she didn't want to go back to the alliance. I didn't want to tell them the grief I was feeling at her death.

"How come it took you so long to find us?" Clove asks. I shrug and lean back against a tree.

"Got lost. The tracker jacker venom made me disoriented and I was knocked out for a while." I reply. Neither one of them questions this and I was grateful for it.

"Lena must've been killed or she died of the tracker jackers." Cato says. I just nod in agreement, knowing that wasn't the truth. As soon as night falls we start a small fire. I share some the rabbit meat that I took from Lena's pack. I carefully slipped the compass into my pack. I didn't want to lose it.

"We need to find the Fire Girl." Cato says as we finish eating. Clove and I nod. This is what I came here for, to extract my vengeance on the girl who murdered Lena.

"How are we going to do that?" I ask. He grins at me.

"She's probably with Lover Boy and I know I cut him up pretty badly. He has to be injured or something. I bet that soon there will be a feast at the Cornucopia. She'll probably go and we could get her then." Cato explains. We all agree to the plan. We would remain here in this spot for a couple days. If there isn't a feast sometime soon, then we'll go find the girl on fire and kill her. Soon the stars come out and the anthem plays. The only face I see is Lena's, her dark hair pulled back like it always was, her green eyes full of determination and fire. Her image disappears and Clove puts out the fire. I lay down and close my eyes, listening to the sounds of the night, wishing Lena were curled up beside me, asking me to watch her back while she slept. My last thought before I fell asleep were my last words to Lena. _I love you, and I'll always protect you. _


	14. Sharing the Story

**Please review everyone if you get the chance.**

**Disclaimer: **_**The Hunger Games **_**is owned by Suzanne Collins.**

The next day all we do is sit around and do nothing. We go back to the lake every now and then to fill our canteens. I set some snares that I learned from Lena to try and catch some food. I manage to get one wild bird from at least five different snares. Food was scarce now and our supplies were running low. I think the whole reason we did nothing but wait was because we were all too exhausted and somewhat weak to do much of anything. We just sat there and sharpened our weapons, waiting for a feast that might never come, a chance to kill the girl from District Twelve. Sometime during the day or maybe it was night already, the sky darkened with clouds. I could tell it was going to rain.

"Do you have a tent or something?" I ask Clove and Cato. Clove stops fiddling with her knife to look up at the sky.

"No, we don't. There are some trees over here we could take shelter in." We all huddle behind a thick group of trees as it begins to rain. The temperature drops and we remain semi-dry. My hair was a little misted from the rain but I wasn't soaking wet yet either. Cato eventually fell asleep and it was just Clove and I, listening to the rain pour down in sheets on top of the trees.

"What really happened to Lena?" Clove asks me quietly. Her expression seems sincere, almost as if she cares about what happened to Lena. I shake the thought away. This is probably just an act, I think to myself.

"What do you mean? I told you and Cato what happened to her yesterday." I start sharpening my knife, the knife Lena used to skin game. I didn't dare bring out one of her stars in case Clove or Cato figure out that Lena had them and I never got them at the Cornucopia. Clove snorts in disbelief and shakes her head, staring out at the rain between the trees.

"Don't give me that, Marvel. I've seen the way you looked at her. You never looked at any of the other girls like that. Glimmer noticed too and told me she had never seen you fall in love with a girl." Clove lets out a bark of humorless laughter. "I think she thought you were incapable of loving someone. We both noticed the way she looked at you. We knew it wouldn't be long before she started to fall for you too. I ask again, what really happened to the girl from Four?" Her question was asked quietly, almost as if she didn't want anyone to hear her or my answer. It was true I never had fallen in love with any of the girls back home. None of them were my type, they either tried to be too sexy or seductive or they were just annoying. Lena was sexy, but she didn't seem to know it and she wasn't annoying. She was different from the girls from District One. I thought at first she didn't like me despite the fact that whenever I flirted with her, her face would turn red. I voice this thought to Clove. Her lips quirk up into a smirk.

"Trust me, Tough Boy, she liked you. I would know because I'm a girl. You still haven't answered my question." I stare out at the rain. Can I trust Clove or not? Her and Glimmer were kind of close and I would trust Glimmer. She might've been in the Games but I knew she wouldn't betray me.

"I don't know if I can trust you." I say.

"Thought you might say that. I give you my word that I won't tell anyone. Not even Cato. If you talk about it, maybe you'll feel better." Clove stops talking and I thought she was done when she says softly, "If she weren't in the Games, I probably would've been friends with Lena. She was a tough girl, a fighter, and I won't betray her or you." I think on it for a moment. She seems sincere. I think I see tears in her eyes but I could be imagining things.

"If you tell anyone, especially Cato, I will kill you." I warn. Clove just rolls her eyes at me and with a grin looks at me expectantly to tell her what happened. I tell the story from the time we escaped the tracker jackers until Lena's death. I'm surprised I don't get choked up. I finish and look at her expectantly. Clove is sitting there, pity in her face.

"You held her until the end? You were with her until she died?" she whispers. I nod. She whistles.

"You must be very strong if you knew she was dying and yet you stayed with her." I just nod again. I had nothing more to say. Soon the rain stops and I could see the glitter and shine of the stars. Then Cladius Templesmith's voice booms into the arena. It wakes up Cato and we all grin at one another as we listen to what Cladius is saying. There's going to be a feast tomorrow.

"We need to get there before dawn. We'll leave in a few minutes." Cato says. We grab our packs and wait for a while until the anthem starts playing. Then we start trudging towards the Cornucopia, weapons in hand, ready for a fight. I'm ready to kill the girl on fire and no one is going to stand in my way.


	15. Together Forever

**Thank you to whoever guest reviewed and to those that are following this story, I really appreciate it and it means a lot. Please if you're viewing this story, please leave a review. Criticism is welcome.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Hunger Games.**_

When we reach the Cornucopia the sky was still dark and the sounds of nighttime were still there. We managed to find a place to rest near the Cornucopia. Clove and Cato fell asleep almost immediately but as soon as the sun rose, I set off on my own. I know we all agreed to go together and hunt her down like the Career pack we are but I wanted to kill the girl on fire myself. She's the reason Lena's gone, the reason she's dead. I soon could see the Cornucopia and I could see the bags for all the tributes left, the district numbers standing out in dark, bold lettering. I hesitate, waiting for the girl from Twelve to go to the Cornucopia. I watch as someone runs to the Cornucopia, grabs their bag, and runs off into the forest. All I saw of that was a red blur, making me think it was the girl from District Five. Then I see a dark shape running towards the Cornucopia and I spring into action. Out of my pack I grab one of Lena's stars, throwing it at the girl from Twelve. It hits her pant leg, bringing her to the ground from the force of the throw. She whips around, bow in hand with an arrow ready, and fires at me. I narrowly miss it. I reach her as she starts to pull the knife out, putting Lena's knife to her throat and pinning her to the ground. Her eyes are sparking with fury as she glowers at me with utter hatred.

"I thought I killed you." she says, her voice hard and cold. I narrow my eyes at her.

"No, you killed the girl from Four." She's still glaring at me but her gaze softens slightly.

"You killed Rue. You killed a twelve year old little girl." she says softly. I don't know where's she's going with this but I dig the knife deeper into her skin, watching as scarlet drops of blood stream down from her neck.

"That doesn't matter. I'm going to kill you, give the Capitol a good show." I say menacingly. The girl looks at me, her expression full of sympathy.

"It does matter. We both had lost someone. I lost Rue and you lost the girl you loved." I look at her in surprise. I lighten up on the knife but I don't move it away.

"How do you know I loved her?" I ask. She gives me a wry smile.

"I don't know much about love, but I think everyone knew you had fallen for her." She gives me a considering look before adding, "I'm sorry." I could feel my eyes widen in surprise. I didn't think she would say anything like that. Then I think how she couldn't be much older than I was at sixteen and how I was about to kill her for killing Lena when I was just as at fault as she is. I killed a little girl and she killed the girl I loved and I look down at her and realize I can't take her life away. Then I think how sadistic the Capitol is, forcing us to kill each other for no reason except to survive and for possible retribution. What's the point of winning if Lena's not there, if it will all just happen again and then I'll be forced to train more kids like me who will most likely die in the arena? I can't even protect my sister from the reaping. I make my choice. I stand up, drawing my knife away from the girl. She stands up with caution. I drop the knife on the ground.

"I'm sorry for killing that little girl. I said I would win for her but I don't see the point if she isn't there. I'm more than a piece in these Games." I say. I look at her as she strings an arrow in her bow.

"Are you sure? You could win for her, live a life she would be proud of and give something to her memory." I set my expression into determination.

"No. You win. You show them up and show that the Capitol doesn't own you. They already took away what I loved most." I knew my family would be upset. I knew that Emma would be devastated. I also knew I didn't have a chance whether she killed me or not. I was already dead and lost, never to return to normal because of grief. The girl on fire's arrow pierced through my heart and I could feel blood pour out of my body. I fell to the ground, not registering the pain. As my eyes close, I could hear someone scream my name as I slip into darkness and permanent unconsciousness. Soon, though, I see a light. I could see a bunch of clouds that look like they're covered in a sunset. A golden bridge is there and beyond it there is a pure, white light. I see a girl standing near the bridge. She has long, black hair and when she turns around; her eyes are an emerald green. Her smile is radiant.

"Marvel!" She runs to me and I embrace Lena, burying my face in her hair. I could feel the tears coming down my cheeks as I hold her in my arms, not wanting to let go, afraid she would disappear and this was all a dream.

"We're dead, aren't we Lena?" I ask her. She smiles sadly at me.

"Yes." I lean down and kiss her on the lips with love, all of my grief flowing away. She kisses me back and soon we break apart. I see a girl who looked a little older than us, her hair long, blonde, and wavy, her eyes a pretty blue. The girl still looked like Lena despite these differences and I knew without knowing that this was Darena Martindale. She gazes serenely at us.

_Now we are all at peace._ _Our families will move on and from here we can help them. _I hear her say. She gestures at the bridge and walks towards the white light. I swore I hear her give a cry of joy as she went into the white light. Lena looks up at me with a smile.

"Ready?" she asks me softly. I kiss her on the top of her head and hold her hand. I had been wanting to do that since I first laid eyes on her.

"Ready." We crossed the bridge into the white light, living in eternal bliss and happiness. Together.


	16. Epilogue

**Thank you to everyone who viewed, reviewed, or followed this story. I appreciate it and it all means a lot. If you enjoyed this story, I will be doing a prequel soon on Darena and other possible stories outside this fandom****. Look at those if you get the chance. Thanks again everyone!**

**Disclaimer: Last one! I don't own **_**The Hunger Games **_**by Suzanne Collins.**

Every day I would walk out of the house to gaze at the sea. Today it was especially beautiful in the afternoon light, all glittery and shimmery like glass. My sisters would've taken advantage of the nice day and gone out fishing. I probably would've gone with them. I turn back towards the house, thinking of my sisters. The rebellion had ended and there were no more Hunger Games anymore. I now had a wife and two children. I always wondered what if. I had accepted the death of my older sister a long time ago. It was my little sister's death I still couldn't accept. What if she hadn't been reaped for the Games? Would she have met the boy from One still and married him someday? We had moved on and I never resented the boy from One, for not trying to win. He had loved my little sister and I probably would have done the same thing. His sister, Emma, and I talked about them a lot and we became friends over the years. It was nice to share the memories of those long past, those who still mattered despite everything. I entered the house to see my wife washing the dishes, her brown hair pinned back and out of her face. She faced me as I walked through the door. She looked worried. I took off my jacket and boots. I walked over to her, putting my hands on her shoulders.

"They are starting to ask more about the girl in the photo." she murmurs. I sigh, knowing exactly which photo she meant. It was my sister and I when it had been my first time sailing by myself. The picture was in color and anyone who looked at the photo could see how well the camera captured my sister's joy as she stood by the ship. She had always loved the ocean, her and her older sister. The picture was on the mantle on the fireplace, surrounded by shells and next to it there was a compass and a clip with the shape of a flower. Another picture was on our mantle, one of the three of us, and we had all sat around the hearth in my parents' home during the winter, telling stories. I kissed the top of my wife's head.

"It's time to tell them, isn't it?" I ask her gently. She nods.

"They have the right to know." is all she says. I squeeze her shoulders and then call the children into the family room, right by the fireplace. I sit on the floor on the plush rug we had, my two children surrounding me. My daughter somehow managed to inherit my sister's green eyes and my wife's brown hair. My son had mine and my sister's blonde hair and blue eyes. I reach around for the one photo that my children have been asking about. I also grab the other picture, the compass, and the clip. All memories of the Martindale sisters and all connected to each other. My children watch me with wide eyes as I set them on the floor between us.

"Are you going to tell us the story, Daddy?" my daughter asks. I smile a sad smile at my children.

"Yes. I will start at the beginning. It's more like the end but it will help you to make sense of the beginning." I tell them. They look at me with their eyes full of curiosity and wonder. I agree with my wife, it's time they knew. It's time they knew everything. I begin the tale.

"The story starts with a girl with long, black hair, and emerald green eyes. She was a Hunger Games tribute and she fell in love with a boy with blonde-brown hair and hazel eyes from District One. She never did win the Games, but her story still matters, her and her sister's. My sisters. This is the story of the Martindale sisters, the story of Lena and Darena."


End file.
